5 Reasons To Check Out Singapore Cocktail Festival 2017

The inaugural Singapore Cocktail Festival kicks off this week, with plenty of alcohol-fuelled activities to keep you tipsy (and happy). Here’s what you can look forward to.

(Source: Singapore Cocktail Festival Facebook)

1. Booze, bites and beats galore!

Want to be in the heart of all the action? Head down to the Festival Village at 99 Beach Road, where there will be plenty of booze, bites and beats for all to enjoy. Besides experiential rooms for sampling spirits and bespoke cocktails, the Festival Village will also have a Food Street with vendors like Izy Dining & Bar and Ninja Cut to keep your belly happy.

A live music stage at the Festival Village will play host to an eclectic line-up of DJs, including Brendon P, Joshua P and YA5TH. If all that still isn’t enough excitement for you, check out the Disco Fitness Studio, where you can don some colourful gear and work out to old school aerobic videos. If you don’t care about burning calories, at least do it for the ‘gram.

Locally-based Paper Lantern Gin will be one of the twelve artisanal spirits featured in the tasting rooms at the Festival Village. (Source: Singapore Cocktail Festival Facebook)

2. A curated range of cocktails.

Whether you’re a cocktail connoisseur or tipple virgin, the Singapore Cocktail Festival is a good reason to get a little tipsy. With nine themed cocktail rooms and up to 50 different types of cocktails available at the Festival Village, you’ll practically be spoiled for choice. Oh, and have we mentioned how the cocktails are reasonably priced at $12 nett each?

As part of the festivities, participating bars like Jigger & Pony, B28 and Horse’s Mouth will also be offering limited edition cocktails, curated pairing menus and more. Check out the festival calendar for more details.

The [DE NOVO], a cocktail specially created for the event by head bartender Andy Lim of the Bar & Billiard Room at Raffles Hotel. (Source: Singapore Cocktail Festival Facebook)

3. Catch a glimpse (or two) of some pretty famous bartenders.

This year’s festival will see well-known names in the bar scene descend upon our humble shores, such as Alex Kratena (Founder of P(OUR), London), Attapon De-Silva (Head Bartender of Q&A, Bangkok), Beckaly Franks (The Pontiac, Hong Kong), Mark Huang (Director of Woo Taipei, Taiwan), Naren Young (Managing Partner of Dante, New York) and many more. Various establishments in Singapore will be hosting these personalities for guest bartending sessions, so mark your calendars if you want to sample some of their creations.

Naren Young of New York-based bar Dante will be one of the guest bartenders at the festival. (Source: Singapore Cocktail Festival Facebook)

4. Who’s in the running to be Singapore’s Next Top Cocktail?

Four handpicked bartenders will compete to create Singapore’s Next Top Cocktail, a signature drink that best represents the Lion City. The best part? You’ll get to try the cocktails and cast your vote to help decide who wins the coveted title.

Nine bartending teams from various countries will also compete in the Asia Bar Battle, where they will each present a cocktail that best represents their homeland.

The Leo’s Flip from Nutmeg & Clove, which draws inspiration from Pineapple Tarts, is one of the contenders for Singapore’s Next Top Cocktail. (Source: Singapore Cocktail Festival Facebook)

5. Learn from the best in bartending.

If you’re a true cocktail enthusiast, you’ll be pleased to know that there are several workshops and masterclasses in the line-up of activities. Learn the art of creating cocktails from experienced bartenders, who will teach you some tricks of the trade.

If you want more, check out one of the cocktail tours that will take you to a series of handpicked bars for some cocktail sampling. Each curated tour will explore a different theme or area, so sign up for the one that interests you the most.

Mixologist Matt Whiley is one of the international bartenders on the panel for the festival. (Source: Singapore Cocktail Festival Facebook)

Singapore Cocktail Festival 2017 takes place from 16 to 21 March, across various locations. The Festival Village at 99 Beach Road will open from 4pm to 10pm (16 & 17 March) and 12pm to 10pm (18 & 19 March). Admission to the Festival Village is free, but tickets are required for some events. For more information, check out their website or Facebook page.